This invention relates to a shield connector of the type in which a shield cover is fitted on a connector housing and more particularly to a shield cover including a double-lock structure for preventing withdrawal of the terminal and structure enabling detection of an incomplete insertion.
One known shield connector of this type comprises an insulative connector housing having terminal receiving chambers into which metal terminals connected respectively to core wires of a shield wire are respectively inserted from rear ends of these chambers. The shield connector also includes an electrically-conductive shield cover fitted on the connector housing and electrically connected to a shield conductor of the shield wire when the shield cover is fitted on the connector housing.
In such a shield connector, the following two constructions have heretofore been commonly used as retaining devices for attaching the metal terminals to the connector housing in a manner to prevent the metal terminals from withdrawal.
A first construction is a so-called single lock construction, in which resilient retaining pawls are formed on the connector housing or the metal terminals, and when the metal terminal is inserted into a predetermined position within the terminal receiving chamber of the connector housing, the resilient pawl performs its retaining function.
With this construction, however, the metal terminal is retained only at one portion, and therefore the withdrawal prevention force is inferior. Furthermore, if the metal terminal is not inserted into the proper position within the terminal receiving chamber, the resilient retaining pawl may exhibit a weak retaining force to hold the metal terminal in a provisionally-retained condition. In such a condition, the operator is liable to misunderstand that complete insertion has been made, resulting in a problem that a defect such as withdrawal of the metal terminal arises after the connection of the connector.
A second construction called a double lock construction has been proposed. In this construction, there is provided a retainer for insertion into the connector housing. The retainer is first inserted into a provision- ally-retained position, and the metal terminal is inserted into the connector housing from a rear end thereof, so that the resilient retaining pawl retains the metal terminal against withdrawal. Thereafter, the retainer is farther pushed from the provisionally-retained position, so that a retaining projection formed on the retainer is engaged with the metal terminal, thereby completely holding the metal terminal against movement in its withdrawing direction.
In this construction, the metal terminal is retained at two portions by the resilient retaining pawl of the connector housing and the retaining projection of the retainer, and therefore a strong withdrawal prevention force can be obtained. If the metal terminal is not inserted into the proper position within the terminal receiving chamber, the retainer cannot be further pushed from the provisionally-retained position, and therefore the incompletely inserted condition can be detected, thus achieving an effect of preventing a defect (i.e., terminal withdrawal) from arising.
In the above double lock method, however, in addition to the connector housing, the separate part, that is, the retainer, is needed. Particularly in the case where the shield connector is of the type including, in addition to the metal terminals and the connector housing, a shield cover for fitting on the connector housing, there is encountered a drawback that the number of parts is considerably increased.